Determination device, determination method, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a determination device, a determination method, and a storage medium with which it is possible to appropriately cope with the occurrence of misrecognition of a camera road line at a timing before a vehicle enters a curved road. The determination device includes: a storage medium that stores a command that can be read by a computer; and a processor connected to the storage medium, the processor performing, by executing a command readable by the computer, a process of: identifying a road division line present in a traveling direction of a vehicle; determining whether or not the identified road division line coincides with a map road division line obtained on the basis of map information stored in a storage unit; when the vehicle approaches a curved road, the processor restricts to a range before a reference point obtained by taking into account a switching point to switch to the curved road in the range of the identified road division line, and determines whether or not the identified road division line coincides with the map road division line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a determination device, a determination method, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide a realization path for a sustainable transportation system that also takes into account people who are particularly vulnerable among traffic participants. Research and development related to autonomous driving technology are being carried out to further improve traffic safety and convenience for its realization.

[0003] In addition, in autonomous driving technology, the consistency between the road markings recognized from camera images and the road markings recognized from map information is confirmed and used for generating the target trajectory of the own vehicle. However, for example, when the own vehicle is traveling on a curved road or a branch road, it has become a problem that the road markings recognized from camera images are easily misrecognized. To address this problem, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-068617, it is disclosed that when the position of the own vehicle is in the section of the branch road, image recognition on the branch side is restricted. Also, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-200501, it is disclosed that during curved road driving, when the continuity evaluation between the actual boundary obtained from the recognition range before and after the own vehicle and the map boundary is high, they are comprehensively used as information, and on the other hand, when the evaluation is low, the map boundary is used.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technologies are inventions that address the misrecognition of camera road markings when the own vehicle is traveling on a branch road or during curved road driving, rather than inventions that address the above misrecognition at the timing before the own vehicle enters a curved road. As a result, sometimes the camera road markings or the map road markings are misrecognized at the timing before the own vehicle enters a curved road, and the target trajectory of the own vehicle cannot be appropriately generated. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been completed in view of such circumstances, and one of its purposes is to provide a determination device, a determination method, and a storage medium that can appropriately address the occurrence of misrecognition of camera road markings at the timing before the own vehicle enters a curved road. And it further contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0006] The determination device according to the present invention adopts the following structure.

[0007] (1): The determination device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a storage medium that stores commands readable by a computer; and a processor connected to the storage medium. The processor performs the following processing by executing commands readable by the computer: identifying a road marking line in the traveling direction of the vehicle; and determining whether the identified road marking line matches a map road marking line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, the processor restricts the range of the identified road marking line to a range closer to the vehicle than a reference point obtained by considering a switching point for switching to the curved road, and determines whether the identified road marking line matches the map road marking line.

[0008] (2): Based on the aspect (1) above, when the vehicle passes the reference point, the processor releases the restriction and determines whether the identified road marking line matches the map road marking line within the range of the identified road marking line.

[0009] (3): Based on the aspect (1) above, when the vehicle passes a specified position closer to the vehicle than the reference point, the processor releases the restriction and determines whether the identified road marking line matches the map road marking line within the range of the identified road marking line.

[0010] (4): Based on the aspect (1) above, when the vehicle is separated from the switching point by a distance greater than or equal to a specified distance, the processor sets the reference point as the switching point. On the other hand, when the vehicle is not separated from the switching point by a distance greater than or equal to the specified distance, the processor sets the reference point as a point located on the traveling direction side of the switching point and obtained based on the vehicle speed.

[0011] (5): The determination method according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying a road marking line in the traveling direction of the vehicle; and determining whether the identified road marking line matches a map road marking line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, the processor restricts the range of the identified road marking line to a range closer to the vehicle than a reference point obtained by considering a switching point for switching to the curved road, and determines whether the identified road marking line matches the map road marking line.

[0012] (6): The storage medium involved in other solutions of the present invention stores a program and performs the following processing: recognizing the road markings existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; and determining whether the recognized road markings are consistent with the map road markings obtained based on the map information stored in the storage unit. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, the range in the recognized road markings that is closer to the vehicle than the reference point obtained by considering the switching point for switching to the curved road is restricted, and it is determined whether the recognized road markings are consistent with the map road markings.

[0013] According to the solutions (1) to (6) above, it is possible to appropriately handle the occurrence of misrecognition of the camera road markings or the map road markings at the timing before the vehicle enters the curved road. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a vehicle system using the determination device according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a functional structural diagram of the first control unit and the second control unit.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the driving mode and the control state and tasks of the vehicle.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing an example of a scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing another example of a scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow executed by the determination unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the determination device, determination method, and storage medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [OVERALL STRUCTURE]

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the determination device according to the embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle system 1 is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, four-wheeled, etc. vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the generated electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge electric power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0023] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operation member 80, an autonomous driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected via multi-channel communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is just an example. A part of the structure can be omitted, or other structures can be added.

[0024] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at any part of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When shooting forward, the camera 10 is installed at the upper part of the windshield, the back of the interior rearview mirror, etc. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly shoots the surroundings of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 can also be a stereo camera.

[0025] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves to the surroundings of the host vehicle M, and detects the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and azimuth) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at any part of the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and speed of an object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0026] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength close to light) to the surroundings of the host vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to an object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is installed at any part of the host vehicle M.

[0027] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results detected by a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the autonomous driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also directly output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the autonomous driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0028] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the host vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0029] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the host vehicle M and accepts input operations performed by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, buttons, etc.

[0030] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity about the vertical axis, an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M, etc.

[0031] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the host vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M may also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, buttons, etc. Part or all of the navigation HMI 52 may be shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as a map route) from the position of the host vehicle M (or an arbitrary input position) determined by the GNSS receiver 51 to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents the shape of a road, for example, by showing road segments and nodes connected by the road segments. The first map information 54 may also include information such as the curvature of the road and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The map route is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may also perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the map route. The navigation device 50 may be implemented, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal held by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may also send the current position and the destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the map route from the navigation server.

[0032] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and stores the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the map route provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided every 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction) and determines a recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 makes a determination as to which lane from the left to drive in. When there is a branch point in the map route, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for traveling to the branch destination.

[0033] The second map information 62 is map information with higher precision than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on the boundary of a lane. In addition, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic restriction information, residence information (address, postal code), facility information, telephone number information, information on prohibited sections where the following mode A or mode B is prohibited, and the like. The second map information 62 can be updated at any time by communicating with other devices through the communication device 20.

[0034] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is installed at an arbitrary position in the vehicle M at a position and orientation capable of photographing the head of an occupant (hereinafter referred to as the driver) sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (in the orientation for photographing the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is installed above a display device provided at the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M.

[0035] The driving operation members 80 include, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operation members in addition to the steering wheel 82. Sensors for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation are installed in the driving operation members 80, and the detection results are output to a part or all of the automatic driving control device 100, or the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operation member that receives a steering operation performed by a driver". The operation member does not necessarily have to be ring-shaped, and may be in the form of a non-circular steering gear, a joystick, a button, or the like. A steering wheel grip sensor 84 is installed on the steering wheel 82. The steering wheel grip sensor 84 is implemented by a capacitance sensor or the like and is used to output a signal to the automatic driving control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is gripping (which means contacting in a state of applying force) the steering wheel 82.

[0036] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are respectively implemented by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components can also be implemented by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), SOC (System On Chip) (including a circuitry part: circuitry), and can also be implemented through the cooperation of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium), or can be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by being mounted on a driving device through the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium). The automatic driving control device 100 including the determination unit 132 described later is an example of a "determination device".

[0037] Figure 2 It is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, a determination unit 132, a driving plan generation unit 140, and a mode determination unit 150. The first control unit 120 implements, for example, functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a pre-given model in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" can be implemented by "parallelly executing the recognition of an intersection based on deep learning, etc., and the recognition based on pre-given conditions (presence of signals, road signs, etc. capable of pattern matching), and comprehensively evaluating both by scoring". Thereby, the reliability of automatic driving can be ensured.

[0038] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the states such as the position, speed, and acceleration of an object surrounding the host vehicle M based on the information input via the object recognition device 16 from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on the absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of drive shaft, etc.) of the host vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a region. The "state" of the object may also include the acceleration, jerk, or "behavior state" of the object (for example, whether a lane change is being performed or about to be performed).

[0039] In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the lane (travel lane) on which the host vehicle M is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 130 compares the pattern of the road division line obtained from the second map information 62 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "map road division line") with the pattern of the road division line around the host vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "camera road division line") to recognize the travel lane. More specifically, for example, the determination unit 132 of the recognition unit 130 calculates the deviation between the map road division line and the camera road division line, and when it is determined that the calculated deviation is equal to or less than the threshold value (that is, when it is determined that they are consistent), either the map road division line or the camera road division line (or their center line, etc.) is recognized as the travel lane. For the details of the comparison process between the camera road division line and the camera road division line performed by the determination unit 132, see the description below. It should be noted that the recognition unit 130 is not limited to recognizing the travel lane by recognizing the road division line, and may also recognize the travel lane by recognizing the road division line and the travel road boundary (road boundary) including the road shoulder, curb, median strip, guardrail, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing result processed by the INS may also be taken into consideration. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes a temporary stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a toll gate, and other road phenomena.

[0040] When recognizing the travel lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the host vehicle M relative to the travel lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may also recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the traveling direction of the host vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the centers of the lanes as the relative position and posture of the host vehicle M relative to the travel lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M relative to any side end (road division line or road boundary) of the travel lane as the relative position of the host vehicle M relative to the travel lane.

[0041] The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to automatically (independent of the driver's operation) travel in the future in a manner that it travels on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 in principle and avoids approaching an object (except for an object that can be crossed such as a road marking, a road sign, a manhole, etc.) identified by the identification unit 130. For example, the identification unit 130 sets a risk area centered on the object for which the state has been output, and within the risk area, the identification unit 130 sets a risk as an index value indicating the degree to which the host vehicle M should not approach. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory in such a manner that the host vehicle M does not pass through a location where the risk is equal to or higher than a specified value and the host vehicle M travels within the identified driving lane. Since the object includes a moving object, the risk distribution is not set for each control cycle but is set for multiple future time points in consideration of the future position of the object predicted based on the speed of the object. For example, the target trajectory is represented as a trajectory obtained by arranging in sequence the locations (trajectory points) that the host vehicle M should reach. The trajectory points are the locations that the host vehicle M should reach at regular driving distances (for example, on the order of several [m]) along the travel distance. In contrast, the target speed and the target acceleration at regular sampling times (for example, on the order of zero point several [sec]) are generated as part of the target trajectory. Additionally, the trajectory points can also be the positions that the host vehicle M should reach at regular sampling times. In this case, the information on the target speed and the target acceleration is represented by the interval of the trajectory points.

[0042] When generating the target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 can set an event for autonomous driving. In the event of autonomous driving, there are a constant speed driving event, a low-speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branching event, a merging event, a takeover event, etc. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory corresponding to the activated event.

[0043] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M as any one of multiple driving modes that differ in the tasks assigned to the driver. Figure 3This is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between driving modes, the control state of the host vehicle M, and tasks. In the driving modes of the host vehicle M, there are, for example, five modes from mode A to mode E. Regarding the control state, that is, the degree of automation of the driving control of the host vehicle M, mode A is the highest, followed by mode B, mode C, and mode D in that order, and mode E is the lowest. Conversely, regarding the tasks assigned to the driver, mode A is the least intensive, followed by mode B, mode C, and mode D in that order, and mode E is the most intensive. It should be noted that in modes D and E, the control state is not autonomous driving, so the autonomous driving control device 100 performs its duties before ending the control related to autonomous driving and transferring to driving support or manual driving. Hereinafter, the content of each driving mode will be exemplified.

[0044] In mode A, it becomes an autonomous driving state, and neither forward monitoring nor the grasping of the steering wheel 82 (steering wheel grasping in the figure) is assigned to the driver. However, even in mode A, it is required that the driver be in a physical posture that can quickly transfer to manual driving according to the requirements of the system centered on the autonomous driving control device 100. It should be noted that the autonomous driving mentioned here means that steering and acceleration / deceleration are controlled without relying on the driver's operation. Forward refers to the space in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M visually recognized through the front windshield. Mode A is, for example, a driving mode that can be executed when the host vehicle M is traveling at a speed of 50 [km / h] or less on a motor vehicle-only road such as a highway and there is a preceding vehicle to follow. It is sometimes called TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). When this condition is no longer met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to mode B.

[0045] In mode B, it becomes a driving support state, and the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front of the host vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as forward monitoring), but not the task of grasping the steering wheel 82. In mode C, it becomes a driving support state, and the driver is assigned the tasks of forward monitoring and grasping the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode that requires a certain degree of driving operation by the driver for at least one of steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M. For example, in mode D, driving support such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is performed. In mode E, it becomes a manual driving state where steering and acceleration / deceleration both require driving operations by the driver. In modes D and E, of course, the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front of the host vehicle M.

[0046] The driving modes are not limited to Figure 3The content exemplified can also be specified by other definitions. For example, in a driving mode where both forward monitoring and steering wheel holding are necessary, there are a loose threshold and a strict threshold for determining that the steering is being held. More specifically, the driving mode can be defined as follows. In a certain driving mode, it is sufficient if either the left or right hand of the driver touches the steering wheel 82. In another driving mode where the tasks assigned to the driver are heavier compared to this, the driver needs to grip the steering wheel 82 with both hands with a strength above the threshold. In addition, driving modes with different degrees of task severity assigned to the driver can be defined in any way.

[0047] The automatic driving control device 100 (and a driving support device (not shown)) performs an automatic lane change corresponding to the driving mode. In the automatic lane change, there are an automatic lane change (1) based on system requirements and an automatic lane change (2) based on driver requirements. In the automatic lane change (1), there are an overtaking automatic lane change performed when the speed of the preceding vehicle is less than a certain benchmark compared to the speed of the own vehicle, and an automatic lane change for traveling toward the destination (automatic lane change caused by the recommended lane being changed). The automatic lane change (2) means that when conditions related to speed, positional relationship with surrounding vehicles, etc. are satisfied and the driver operates the direction indicator, the own vehicle M changes lanes in the operation direction.

[0048] The automatic driving control device 100 does not perform any of the automatic lane changes (1) and (2) in mode A. The automatic driving control device 100 performs any of the automatic lane changes (1) and (2) in modes B and C. The driving support device (not shown) does not perform the automatic lane change (1) but performs the automatic lane change (2) in mode D. In mode E, it does not perform any of the automatic lane changes (1) and (2).

[0049] When the tasks related to the determined driving mode (hereinafter referred to as the current driving mode) are not performed by the driver, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the own vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task severity.

[0050] For example, in Mode A, when the driver is in a physical posture where they cannot switch to manual driving according to the requirements from the system (such as continuing to look around outside the permitted area or detecting a sign of difficult driving), the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to switch to manual driving. If the driver does not respond, control is performed to make the vehicle M approach the road shoulder and gradually stop, and to stop the autonomous driving. After stopping the autonomous driving, the vehicle enters the state of Mode D or E, and the vehicle M can be started by the driver's manual operation. The same applies to "stopping the autonomous driving" hereinafter. In Mode B, when the driver does not monitor the front, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to perform front monitoring. If the driver does not respond, control is performed to make the vehicle M approach the road shoulder and gradually stop, and to stop the autonomous driving. In Mode C, when the driver does not monitor the front or does not hold the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to perform front monitoring and / or hold the steering wheel 82. If the driver does not respond, control is performed to make the vehicle M approach the road shoulder and gradually stop, and to stop the autonomous driving.

[0051] The mode determination unit 150 also monitors the driver's state for the above-mentioned mode change and determines whether the driver's state is a state corresponding to the task. For example, the mode determination unit 150 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 to perform a posture estimation process and determines whether the driver is in a physical posture where they cannot switch to manual driving according to the requirements from the system. In addition, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 to perform a line-of-sight estimation process to determine whether the driver is monitoring the front.

[0052] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the determination unit 132 determines that the map road division line and the camera road division line do not match, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task. For example, when the vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode that does not require steering wheel holding (Mode A or Mode B) and the mode determination unit 150 determines that the map road division line and the camera road division line do not match, the driving mode is changed to Mode D or Mode E.

[0053] The mode determination unit 150 also performs various processes for mode change. For example, the mode determination unit 150 instructs the action plan generation unit 140 to generate a target trajectory for stopping at the road shoulder, or gives an operation instruction to a driving support device (not shown), or controls the HMI 30 to urge the driver to take action.

[0054] The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined time.

[0055] Return Figure 2 , for example, the second control unit 160 includes an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores the information in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the driving force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element attached to the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 combines feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory and executes it.

[0056] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for vehicle driving to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The ECU controls the above structure according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operation member 80.

[0057] The braking device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operation member 80 so that a braking torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The braking device 210 may include a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operation member 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via the master cylinder as a backup. It should be noted that the braking device 210 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls an actuator according to the information input from the second control unit 160 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0058] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to a rack-pinion mechanism to change the orientation of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operation member 80 to change the orientation of the steering wheel.

[0059] [Handling when entering a curved road]

[0060] As described above, the determination unit 132 compares the map road division line obtained from the second map information 62 with the camera road division line recognized based on the camera image to determine whether they are consistent. When it is determined that the map road division line and the camera road division line are consistent, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory of the own vehicle M so as to travel on the driving lane along the map road division line or the camera road division line. However, for example, when the own vehicle M travels on a curved road (more generally, a driving road where the curvature change of the division line becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value), in particular, the camera road division line far away in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M is likely to be misrecognized, and sometimes it is determined that there is an inconsistency between the map road division line and the camera road division line. As a result, in fact, sometimes this misrecognition is corrected over time, and even when there is no need to change the driving mode, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the own vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task, which impairs the convenience for the driver.

[0061] Against this background, when the determination unit 132 determines based on the second map information 62 that there is a curved road in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M, the determination unit 132 restricts the range of the camera road division line recognized by the recognition unit 130 to a range closer to the own vehicle than a reference point obtained by considering a switching point for switching to the curved road, and determines whether the recognized camera road division line and the map road division line are consistent. Here, the determination unit 132 may determine that there is a curved road in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M based on the registration information indicating a curved road stored in the second map information 62, or may calculate the curvature of the driving road in the traveling direction based on the driving road information stored in the second map information 62, and determine that there is a curved road when the calculated curvature becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value. Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5 the details of the determination process performed by the determination unit 132 will be described.

[0062] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132. In Figure 4In this figure, reference numeral CL denotes the camera road division line including the misrecognition part recognized by the recognition unit 130, reference numeral CL' denotes the true camera road division line with respect to the misrecognition part, reference numeral ML denotes the map road division line, reference numeral RA denotes the recognition range of the camera road division line CL recognized by the recognition unit 130, reference numeral SW denotes the switching point recognized by the recognition unit 130 for switching from a straight road to a curved road, reference numeral d denotes the distance between the correctly recognized part of the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML, and reference numeral d' denotes the distance between the misrecognized part of the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML. The recognition unit 130 can determine the switching point SW for switching from a straight road to a curved road either based on the curvature change of the recognized camera road division line or based on the curvature change of the map road division line stored in the second map information.

[0063] First, when the determination unit 132 determines, based on the second map information 62, that there is a curved road in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M, the determination unit 132 determines whether the own vehicle M is located at a position within a first distance D1 and above a second distance D2 from the switching point SW. When the determination unit 132 determines that the own vehicle M is located at a position above the first distance D1 from the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are consistent with each other for the entire recognition range RA. Here, the first distance D1 means a distance at which the own vehicle M is sufficiently far from the location where camera misrecognition is likely to occur, and thus it is assumed that there is no problem even if the road division line comparison process is performed for the entire recognition range RA. For example, the determination unit 132 may also extract one or more points to be compared from the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML in the recognition range RA, and determine that the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are consistent when the distance between these points is below a threshold value. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the method for determining the consistency between the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML can be any method. For example, the sum value of the distances between the extracted multiple points can be used, or the maximum value can be used.

[0064] On the other hand, when the determination unit 132 determines that the own vehicle M is located at a position within the first distance D1 and above the second distance D2 from the switching point SW, this means that there is a risk of comparing the misrecognized camera road division line CL with the map road division line ML when the road division line comparison process is performed for the entire recognition range RA. Therefore, the determination unit 132, as Figure 4As shown, the switching location SW is set as the reference location RF, and within the range in front of the reference location RF in the recognition range RA, it is determined whether the camera road division line CL coincides with the map road division line ML. Thus, in Figure 4 In this case, the distance d' between the misrecognized part of the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML is not used for the comparison process. For example, the distance d within the range in front of the reference location RF is used for the comparison process. Thus, it is possible to prevent the following situation: due to the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL in the far range of the own vehicle M, it is determined that the camera road division line CL does not coincide with the map road division line ML, and the driving mode is downgraded.

[0065] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing another example of the scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132. Figure 5 As an example, it shows a scene where the determination unit 132 determines that the own vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance D2 from the switching location SW. Here, the second distance D2 means that when the comparison process of the road division lines is performed for the entire recognition range RA, there is a risk of comparing the misrecognized camera road division line CL with the map road division line ML, and there is no (or insufficient) point that can be used for the comparison process only within the range from the own vehicle M to the switching location SW.

[0066] When the determination unit 132 determines that the own vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance D2 from the switching location SW, as Figure 5 shown, the location SL obtained based on the vehicle speed of the own vehicle M is set as the reference location RF, and within the range in front of the reference location RF in the recognition range RA, it is determined whether the camera road division line CL coincides with the map road division line ML. More specifically, for example, the determination unit 132 sets the location SL corresponding to a distance several times the number of meters per second of the own vehicle M from the own vehicle M as the reference location RF for determination. Thus, similar to Figure 4 the case of, it is possible to prevent the distance d' between the misrecognized part of the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML from being used for the comparison process, and further, it is possible to prevent the driving mode from being downgraded.

[0067] As another solution, instead of determining whether the host vehicle M exists within the second distance D2 from the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 may set, as the reference point RF, the point corresponding to the longer one of the distance from the host vehicle M to the switching point SW and the distance from the host vehicle M to a point SL corresponding to a distance several times the speed per second of the host vehicle M. Thus, when the host vehicle M approaches the switching point SW, at a certain point in time, the switching is made from the switching point SW to the point SL, which is used as the reference point RF for comparison processing.

[0068] After that, when the host vehicle M passes through the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 performs comparison processing of the road dividing lines for the entire recognition range RA. This is because, as described above, there is a tendency for misrecognition of the camera road dividing line CL occurring in front of the switching point SW to be corrected over time. In other words, it is assumed that the possibility of misrecognition of the camera road dividing line CL used for comparison processing after the host vehicle M passes through the switching point SW is low, and in the case of inconsistency with the map road dividing line ML, this is a true inconsistency. When it is determined that the camera road dividing line CL is inconsistent with the map road dividing line ML, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task. Alternatively, the mode determination unit 150 may not change the driving mode, and the action plan generation unit 140 may preferentially use the map road dividing line ML rather than the camera road dividing line CL to generate the target trajectory.

[0069] Alternatively, the determination unit 132 may perform comparison processing of the road dividing lines for the entire recognition range RA when the host vehicle M passes through a specified position closer to the switching point SW than the position when passing through the switching point SW. This means that, for example, in the Figure 5 case where it is determined that the host vehicle M exists within the third distance D3 (where D3 < D2) from the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 performs comparison processing of the road dividing lines for the entire recognition range RA.

[0070] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, as an example, the scenario where the vehicle M enters a curved road from a straight road is described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure and can also be applied when the vehicle M enters a straight road from a curved road (in other words, when leaving the curved road). In this case, the determination unit 132 determines the switching point SW based on, for example, the curvature change from the curved road to the straight road, and sets the reference point RF based on whether the vehicle M is located at a position within the first distance D1 and above the second distance D2 from the switching point SW or at a position within the second distance D2. In the range closer to the vehicle than the reference point RF in the recognition range RA, it is determined whether the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are consistent. As a further application, the present invention can also be applied, for example, when the vehicle M is traveling on an S-shaped curve. That is, the determination unit 132 repeatedly executes the above-described determination process when the vehicle M enters the S-shaped curve, travels at the turning point, and leaves the S-shaped curve.

[0071] [Processing Flow]

[0072] Next, with reference to Figure 6 the flow of the process executed by the determination unit 132 will be described. Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process executed by the determination unit 132. Figure 6 The process shown in the flowchart is repeatedly executed by the determination unit 132 while the vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode in which autonomous driving or driving support is executed.

[0073] First, the determination unit 132 determines whether the presence of a curved road is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle M based on the second map information 62 (step S100). If it is determined that the presence of a curved road is not detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle M, the determination unit 132 executes the process of step S100 again after a certain period of time. On the other hand, if it is determined that the presence of a curved road is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle M, the determination unit 132 next determines the switching point for switching to the curved road (step S102).

[0074] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the vehicle M is located at a position within the first distance from the determined switching point (step S104). If it is determined that the vehicle M is not located at a position within the first distance from the determined switching point, the determination unit 132 executes the process of step S104 again after a certain period of time. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle M is located at a position within the first distance from the determined switching point, the determination unit 132 sets the switching point as the reference point and compares the camera road division line and the map road division line in the range closer to the vehicle than the reference point in the recognition range (step S106).

[0075] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the own vehicle M exists at a position within a second distance from the determined switching point (step S108). When it is determined that the own vehicle M does not exist at a position within the second distance from the determined switching point, the determination unit 132 performs the process of step S108 again after a certain period of time. On the other hand, when it is determined that the own vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance from the determined switching point, the determination unit 132 sets the point obtained based on the vehicle speed of the own vehicle M as the reference point, and compares the camera road division line with the map road division line within the range in front of the reference point in the recognition range (step S110).

[0076] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the own vehicle M has entered a curved road by passing through the switching point (step S112). When it is determined that the own vehicle M has not entered the curved road by passing through the switching point, the determination unit 132 returns the process to step S110. On the other hand, when it is determined that the own vehicle M has entered the curved road by passing through the switching point, the determination unit 132 compares the camera road division line with the map road division line within the entire recognition range (step S114). Thus, the determination process performed by the determination unit 132 ends.

[0077] According to the present embodiment described above, when the vehicle approaches a curved road, the determination unit restricts the range within the range of the road division line recognized by the recognition unit to the range in front of the reference point obtained by considering the switching point for switching to the curved road, and determines whether the recognized road division line matches the map road division line. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately cope with the occurrence of misrecognition of the camera road division line or the map road division line at the timing before the own vehicle enters the curved road.

[0078] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0079] A determination device configured to include:

[0080] A storage device storing a program; and

[0081] A hardware processor,[[]]

[0082] The hardware processor performs the following processes by executing the program:

[0083] Recognize the road division line in the traveling direction of the vehicle; and

[0084] Determine whether the recognized road division line matches the map road division line obtained based on the map information stored in the storage unit,[[]]

[0085] When the vehicle approaches a curved road, a range closer to the recognized road division line than a reference point obtained by considering a switching point for switching to the curved road is restricted, and it is determined whether the recognized road division line matches the map road division line.

[0086] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the usage embodiments, but the present invention is in no way limited by such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A determination device, wherein: The determination device comprises: a storage medium storing commands that can be read by a computer; and a processor connected to the storage medium, The processor performs the following processing by executing commands that can be read by the computer: recognizing a road dividing line existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and determining whether the recognized road dividing line is consistent with a map road dividing line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit, When the vehicle approaches a curve, the processor determines whether the recognized road dividing line is consistent with the map road dividing line by limiting the range of the recognized road dividing line to a range closer to a reference point obtained by considering a switching point to switch to the curve.

2. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: When the vehicle passes the reference point, the processor removes the restriction and determines whether the recognized road dividing line matches the map road dividing line within the range of the recognized road dividing line.

3. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: When the vehicle passes a predetermined position ahead of the reference point, the processor removes the restriction and determines whether the recognized road dividing line matches the map road dividing line within the range of the recognized road dividing line.

4. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor sets the reference point to the switching point when the vehicle is separated from the switching point by more than a prescribed distance, and on the other hand, sets the reference point to a point located on the traveling direction side of the switching point and obtained based on the vehicle speed when the vehicle is not separated from the switching point by more than the prescribed distance.

5. A determination method, wherein: The determination method causes the computer mounted on the vehicle to perform the following processing: recognizing a road dividing line existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and determining whether the recognized road dividing line is consistent with a map road dividing line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit, When the vehicle approaches a curve, the recognized road dividing line is limited to a range closer to a reference point obtained by considering a switching point to switch to the curve, and it is determined whether the recognized road dividing line is consistent with the map road dividing line.

6. A storage medium which is a non-transitory storage medium storing a program and which can be read by a computer, wherein: The program causes the computer mounted on the vehicle to perform the following processing: recognizing a road dividing line existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and determining whether the recognized road dividing line is consistent with a map road dividing line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit, When the vehicle approaches a curve, the recognized road dividing line is limited to a range closer to a reference point obtained by considering a switching point to switch to the curve, and it is determined whether the recognized road dividing line is consistent with the map road dividing line.

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